Josh Smith and Dwight Howard Appreciation Thread

Childhood friends and two of the most hated players in the league played some great basketball last night. When these guys are playing well, Houston is a very dangerous team.

quote:

---

Zach Lowe @ZachLowe_NBA
The single most important thing that has happened in the 1st round is that Dwight Howard looks like himself again.

---

Dwight really seems to have regained the explosiveness that we haven't seen since his Orlando days. The two months of rehab in the middle of the season seemed to have really paid off.

Josh Smith threw 6 alley oops to Dwight last night. He also had 13 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds in the second half alone. This throwdown was the dagger.

Woj put out a nice article today on how Josh Smith has thrived in Houston. Some highlights.

quote:

---

"This is why I came here," Smith told Yahoo Sports.

The Rockets always wanted him, and Smith needed a franchise where he could flourish as himself again. After Detroit released him, Smith chose his old Atlanta Celtics teammate, Howard, over his old Oak Hill Academy point guard, Rajon Rondo. As the Rondo-Mavericks partnership further unraveled on Tuesday night, Smith strengthened his bond with Howard and James Harden, with wise, winning basketball.

---

quote:

---

For the Rockets, the moves they didn't make – matching Parsons' max offer sheet, pushing harder on a Rondo deal with Boston – turned out to be as important as the moves they did make: signing Smith and trading for Corey Brewer.

---

quote:

---

As Howard howled and Rondo sulked on Tuesday night, Smith had defied his doubters and made one more proper choice about winning basketball.

Yes, this is why Josh Smith had come here.

---